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Curly Top
Curly Top is a 1935 American musical film directed by Irving Cummings. The screenplay by Patterson McNutt and Arthur J. Beckhard focuses on the adoption of a young orphan (Shirley Temple) by a wealthy bachelor (John Boles) and his romantic attraction to her older sister (Rochelle Hudson). Plot: Young Elizabeth Blair lives at the Lakeside Orphanage, a dreary, regimented place supervised by two decent but dour women. Her older sister Mary works in the kitchen, laundry, and dormitory. Elizabeth is a sweet child but her high spirits often lead her into trouble with the superintendent. When the trustees descend on the orphanage for a tour of inspection, Elizabeth is caught playfully mimicking the head trustee and is threatened with being sent to a public institution. Young, rich, handsome trustee Edward Morgan intervenes. He takes a liking to Elizabeth and, in a private interview with the child, learns that most of her life has been spent obsequiously expressing her gratitude for every mouthful that has fallen her way. He adopts her but, not wanting to curb Elizabeth’s spirit by making her feel slavishly obligated to him for every kindness, he tells her a fictitious “Hiram Jones” is her benefactor and he is simply acting on Jones’s behalf as his lawyer. He nicknames her "Curly Top." Meanwhile, he has met and fallen in love with Elizabeth’s sister Mary but will not admit it. Elizabeth and Mary leave the orphanage and take up residence in Morgan's luxurious Southampton beach house. His kindly aunt, Genevieve Graham, and his very proper butler Reynolds are charmed by the two. Elizabeth has everything a child could want including a pony cart and silk pajamas. Mary secretly loves Morgan but, believing he has no romantic interest in her, she accepts an offer of marriage from young navy pilot Jimmie Rogers. Morgan is taken aback but offers his congratulations. Hours later, Mary ends the engagement when she realizes she doesn't truly love Jimmie. Morgan then declares his love, reveals he is the fictitious “Hiram Jones,” and plans marriage and a long honeymoon in Europe with Mary. Production: Curly Top was filmed in May and June 1935 and released on July 26.1 It was based on Jean Webster's Daddy Long-Legs and was one of four Temple remakes of Mary Pickford films.2 Temple’s mother coached her daughter on the set and at home. Director Cummings noted that Temple’s mother was thorough, teaching her daughter her dialogue and how to say her lines, what facial expressions to use, and how to walk, sit, stand, and run. According to Cummings, Mrs. Temple was “much more Shirley’s director than I am,” and that there was very little left for him to do when Temple arrived on the set.3 As a souvenir, Temple received the film's doll house with hooked rugs on its parquet floors, chintz curtains at its windows, crisp sheets on its beds, fake food in its refrigerator, bric-a-brac on its tiny tabletops, books on its shelves, and its toilet with a working lid. Every drawer and every door in the doll house opened. It was kept in Temple's cottage bedroom on her parents' estate and displayed for child visitors.4 Notes: '''In this film Temple sings her famous song Animal Crackers in my soup. '''Cast: Shirley Temple John Boles Rochelle Hudson Arthur Treacher Esther Dale Jane Darwell Rafaela ottiano Maurice Murphy Length: 74 minutes Writer: '''Patterson McNutt and Arthur J. Bechard '''Director: '''Irving Cummings '''Producer: '''Winfield R. Sheehan '''Editor: Jack Murray '''Cinematographer: '''John F. Seitz '''Music: '''Ray Henderson '''Release Date: '''July 26, 1935 '''Studio: '''Fox Films '''Country: '''United States